Alert systems take shape

REX C. CURRY / Special to the DMN

Modern alert systems link existing devices - phones, faxes, computers, radios, sensors - into a network.

The first security guard to arrive at any future school shooting will probably type a code into his radio and voice a simple message: "Shots fired in freshman dorm. People in the building should lock their doors and keep low. Others should avoid the area."

The school's security system will then call every member of the school community and play the message. It will also run the message through a voice-to-text program and send the text to every cellphone, e-mail address and instant messaging account.

The whole process, from first recording to final delivery, will probably take a couple minutes.

These systems will doubtless save lives, but they will ultimately do much more. They will change the way you work, the way you drive, the way you live. You may sacrifice some privacy, but you will get much in return.